Zone: Front and side Foundation

Season of Interest: Spring through Winter (Year-round interest)

The Doctor’s Notes (Medicinal Use)

While ferns were often more decorative than medicinal in 19th-century New England, Dr. Woodward would have been familiar with the general use of various fern rhizomes:

• Vermifuge: Historically, several species of ferns were used to create "worm teas" to treat intestinal parasites, though the potency varied greatly and required professional oversight.

• Cooling Poultice: Crushed fern fronds were sometimes used in folk medicine as a cooling application for minor burns or skin inflammations.

• Tonic Properties: In some eclectic medical traditions, certain fern roots were thought to support general vitality during recovery from illness.

The Household Assistant (Homestead Use)

For a home like the Woodward Museum, the Autumn Fern provided aesthetic value and practical garden solutions:

• Dynamic Color: It earns its name "Autumn Fern" because its new fronds emerge in the spring with a striking coppery-red or bronze tint, maturing to a deep green in summer, and often taking on bronze tones again in the fall.

• Erosion Control: With its sturdy root system, this fern was excellent for planting near the foundation stones, helping to stabilize the soil and prevent runoff from the roof.

• Low Maintenance: For a busy household, this fern was a "plant it and forget it" staple—it is remarkably resistant to deer, rabbits, and most common garden pests.

Botanist’s Corner

• Form: An upright, arching fern that grows in tidy clumps, reaching about 18 to 24 inches in height.

• Foliage: Features bipinnate (twice-divided) fronds with a glossy, leathery texture. This thickness makes it more drought-tolerant than many of its woodland cousins.

• Reproduction: If you flip a frond over in late summer, you’ll see neat rows of bright red sori (spore cases), which look like tiny red dots and add to the plant's unique "autumnal" look.